Victory was key - Shrubsole

Anya Shrubsole put collective glory above her own success after leading England into the Super Sixes phase of the Women’s World Cup.

The 21-year-old seamer returned career-best figures of 4-21 to underpin a six-wicket win over West Indies, whose decision to bat first backfired spectacularly as they folded to 101 all out.

Reflecting on a positive day for the defending champions, Shrubsole told ecb.co.uk: “Obviously from a personal point of view it went well, but the key was for the team to get over the line and head into the Super Sixes.

Anya Shrubsole poses with the match award after taking four wickets in England's victory over West Indies. "I'm really pleased," she said

“I’m really pleased to have contributed to the team’s performance.”

Shrubsole admitted she was somewhat surprised to be thrust into bowling action this morning after Windies skipper Merissa Aguilleira had won the toss.

In damp conditions, England duly wreaked havoc and Katherine Brunt claimed two scalps before Arran Brindle ran through the tail to finish with 3-0.

“We would have looked to bowl if we had won the toss, but obviously West Indies had their plans and they wanted to get in there and put some runs on the board,” reasoned Shrubsole.

“Thankfully we were able to take advantage of the helpful conditions. We got one early and kind of went from there.”

Shrubsole’s dismissal of the dangerous Stafanie Taylor, for nought, certainly represented a significant boost, while Brunt picked up the key wicket of Deandra Dottin, who made only four.

“We know that Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin are two key wickets for them, so to get both of them for next to nothing was brilliant for us,” added Shrubsole. “Everything worked to plan.”

Brunt was forced to leave the field following her dismissal of Dottin, and skipper Charlotte Edwards also spent time on the sidelines due to illness.

However, Shrubsole played down the seriousness of each incident, revealing that Brunt came off purely as a precaution after rolling her ankle, while Edwards was simply “a bit off-colour today”.